She Could Not Live Upon the Past
She Could Not Live Upon the Past - meaning Summary
Past, Present, and Nature
The poem describes a woman who cannot live in memory and is unrecognized by the present, so she turns to a consoling, natural refuge. Nature "gently owned her," offering a sustaining sweetness outside social or temporal claims. The closing image — a mother without a knell for "either Duke or Robin" — suggests an inclusive, nonjudging care that transcends rank and mourning, valuing human consolation over status.
Read Complete AnalysesShe could not live upon the Past The Present did not know her And so she sought this sweet at last And nature gently owned her The mother that has not a knell for either Duke or Robin
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